Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek head into 2026 in search of a career Grand Slam

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Carlos Alcaraz knows what matters the most to him in 2026 and isn't shy about telling the world: He wants to win the Australian Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

That would make him the ninth man in tennis history with at least one singles championship from each of the sport's four most prestigious tournaments — and, at 22 years and just under 9 months old at the event's conclusion, the youngest.

“It’s going to be my first tournament of the season, and it’s really the main goal for me," Alcaraz told The Associated Press. "I'm going to do the preseason just focused for the Australian Open — to be in really good shape for the Australian Open, physically, mentally, tennis-wise. Everything.”

When play begins on the hard courts of Melbourne Park on Sunday (Saturday night EST), Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who is 24, both will be chasing the one major trophy missing from their collections.

He owns a total of six so far: two apiece from the red clay of the French Open, the grass of Wimbledon and the hard courts of the U.S. Open. So does she: four from the French Open and one each from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

“Players who have been able to complete the four of them ... adapt in different situations, different surfaces, different atmospheres,” Alcaraz said. “And that’s what a real champion does: adapting themselves wherever they play. Different cities, stadiums, in front of different crowds. That makes a real champion. That’s why I’m really looking forward to doing it.”

The youngest man with a career Slam was Don Budge, who was two days from turning 23 when he won the 1938 French Open as part of a calendar-year Slam. Maureen Connolly has the overall mark: She was 18 when she completed her full set at the 1953 French Open, one of 10 women to win all four majors.

Swiatek has come closer than Alcaraz in Australia, getting to the semifinals twice. Alcaraz has been as far as the quarterfinals, including losing to 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in 2025.

Currently No. 2 behind Aryna Sabalenka — who is a two-time Australian Open winner and was last year's runner-up to Madison Keys — Swiatek was asked which would mean more to her: winning in Melbourne or returning to the top of the rankings.

“I don’t need to choose which one is more important, which one is a priority. I’m still young. I have plenty of time to do different things and achieve different goals in my career,” came the reply. “I really don’t need to put that pressure on myself to do something in the next two weeks.”

Alcaraz, who recently split from longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, is ranked No. 1 but won't be the favorite over the coming 15 days. That's his rival, No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who won the past two Australian Opens and appeared in the last five Slam finals overall.

He won the U.S. Open in 2024 and Wimbledon in 2025, meaning the 24-year-old Sinner enters 2026 on the verge of a career Slam, too.

“We are players who are pretty complete, I’d say,” Sinner said about himself and Alcaraz. “We can change the way we play.”

No matter when a career Grand Slam arrives — at age 21 for Serena Williams, for example, or 29 for Djokovic — it is significant and truly sets tennis players apart.

“They’re obviously already so successful, they’re kind of trying to check off the boxes of even more big accomplishments. That’s a huge milestone," said Taylor Fritz, the 2024 runner-up to Sinner in New York. “At such a young age for all of them, it's even more impressive."

Sinner's missing piece? Roland-Garros, where he lost last year's final to Alcaraz after holding a trio of championship points.

“It’s definitely a motivation,” Sinner told the AP. “We will push a lot to be ready to perform my best at every tournament and be ready for the most important matches. That’s what I want.”

As serious as Alcaraz is about getting the job done in Melbourne, he also can joke about it.

“I would trade Australia for Roland-Garros with Jannik,” Alcaraz said with a hearty laugh. “I would trade that, to be honest.”

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Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis